Road to Success

There are approximately 1,700 students attending Creekview High School and out of all of those students, 100% of them have entered the black hole of what I like to call “college exploration.” It started in 7th grade and the day it started was probably the first time someone talked to me about my future, my career, and my high school experience that seemed so far away.

It is funny I still remember that day four years later as a senior, now suddenly lost in college applications, school work, the senior project, and most importantly, college scholarships. The world is spinning out of control and slipping away so fast that half of the school year is over and I feel like I only blinked. It is a scary experience, and I am here to enlighten and share a little knowledge I learned along the way about college scholarships.

There are several key questions that accompany college scholarships: “Where can I find information about scholarships?” or “Who offers college scholarships, and what do I have to do to get a scholarship?” and finally, “Are scholarships really worth my time?” There are all really great questions, and there are great answers to all of them.

For an example, information on about scholarships is seemingly endless. If you have not already visited or signed up for fastweb.com or fafsa.ed.gov, you need to do so. Fastweb asks you some questions, gathers your information, and personally matches national scholarships to you. Sounds easy, right? It really is and if your family is anything like mine, then they want to get involved in the college process in some sort of way. Helping you look for scholarships is a great way to get your parents involved and takes stress off your shoulders. Fafsa qualifies you for grants, student loans, parent loans at low interest, and work study making it crucial to your success in college.

Remember, a lot of scholarships have requirements. Expected requirements like a copy of your transcripts, your SAT scores, and writing an essay are common. These aspects change and are unique to each scholarship, so just make sure you read everything you can about the scholarship you are applying for. If fastweb.com does not really work out for you then you have other options. That does not mean a Google search, so, look local. The Student Services website takes time to post local scholarships. Also, listen for the morning announcements for information about scholarships and go see your counselor for more information.

And, there is more! Be careful about what scholarships you apply for, and be aware that most scholarships come from colleges. Private schools tend to have more money to distribute to its students in the form of scholarships and grants, but if you receive a scholarship from this type of school, it can only be used there. On the other hand, almost every other scholarship you are awarded can be used at any school. Other scholarships come from private companies like Wells Fargo who promote themselves through supporting college students, but those are often national scholarships. Private company scholarships never hurt to apply for, but most of the time the money is the hardest to obtain.

When you do apply, make sure everything is perfected when you hit submit, and make sure your scholarship is tailored to you. Meaning, make sure you have read enough about the scholarship to know that you fully qualify and it fits your personal needs. Do not apply for a business scholarship if you want to major in fashion. Remember, there are hundreds of other students just like you trying to get the same money, so make sure you stand out. Unsure about your essay? Take it to your literature teacher; they do sympathize with most of us students and are usually more than willing to help.

Finally, “Are scholarships really worth the time?” The answer, “Yes!” College scholarships take a lot of work and you have to find some sort of motivation to keep looking and keep applying but the good news? There are a lot of places that want to help students get a good education, which means there is a ton of money floating around for grabs. Your job is to make sure you find that money and take full advantage of it. Do not be lazy. Your career and your parent’s finances depend on what you do now.

There are also a few things you definitely need to know as you approach the end of your high school career. Like when you go to visit a college, what are the two places you have to visit? The Admissions office and then Financial Aid. Show your face and make yourself known. When you do receive a scholarship, make sure that you ask your college if they will match the money you receive. If you are attending a private college, chances are you will get a yes but for public school kids, chances are your answer will be no. You do not lose anything by asking, and you might be surprised at the answer you receive.

Once you have received a scholarship, remember it is only good for one year. A lot of the time students and parents forget you are going to be in school for four years, not just one. So you might have your freshmen year covered, but the cost will seemingly increase without all of your financial aid so ask your school if they will continually give you the money you received from scholarships. A lot of schools will say yes. Bottom line, you cannot lose anything just by asking a question.

If you have any questions on college scholarships and grants, do not hesitate to visit your counselor. Keep applying; there is a lot of money out there up for grabs.

Written by: Brooke Gunsauley